...I gave up on the trash guard. Figured my wife and kids would have trouble explaining how daddy's last act on earth was getting sucked into a spillway pipe. Bad mojo for a fisherman to even think about it. I will wait a day or so to let the water level drop and try again. I spent the afternoon raking big sticks and debri out of the water instead.
That decision trumps all your best engineering concepts, hands down. Darn good thing, too, cuz I didn't want to have to write the ending to this thread.
I'm glad ya passed on the 18" water slide, pondsea. You'll get it; hang tite.
