How to protect footvalve from sticking open by sediment?
I pump from creeks and ponds throughout the year they make metal cages that go around the foot valve and because they are quite a bit larger they don’t easily plug up with leaves , one I have a rope on that if it plugs up I turn the pump off jerk the rope a couple of times and all the excess falls off the cage, my suction line is 3” but the cage is close to 8” in diameter and probably 4” tall, the cages or strainer last about 10 years even in mud it keeps the foot out of the mud and any grass and leaves out of the foot, maybe 2x per year I have to move it to dislodge the leaves that settle on it some years only 1 move is needed. You could even make one out of galvanized mesh like is used on the top of chimneys, I did that a few years back but it only lasted ~3 years.