Same experience here with Abandoned Dig quest. Large number of scrap golems produced all over the map. Many in inaccessible areas. Two were in water, two on different mountain sides. Most were not really that close to the actual quest hut either.
Similarly, I had another quest where I released a bunch of fire elementals into the landscape. Those too spawned in water and on mountains.
Interestingly enough, I managed to slay the scrap golems in the water because it just happened to be my territory. I used firestorm on them and slew them. Didn't work on the fire elementals though 